Information

Where the standard provisions apply (see page 39) the regulations set out clearly the sort of information the employer should provide (regulation 20(1)):

• activities and economic situation: information on the recent and probable development of the undertaking’s activities and economic situation. Government guidance suggests that this is to help reps understand the context in which decisions affecting employment, work organisation and employees’ contractual relations are made. It suggests that the quantity and scope of information should be limited to avoid undue burdens on the employer, and so as not to overwhelm the reps.

• employment: information on the situation, structure and probable development of employment within the undertaking and on any anticipatory measures envisaged, in particular, where there is a threat to employment within the undertaking. The emphasis here is on the overall number of employees within the undertaking.

• work organisation and contracts: decisions likely to lead to substantial changes in work organisation or in contractual relations. Government guidance suggests that the reference to “contractual relations” means an employer’s contractual relations with its employees. This could include decisions also covered by legislation on collective redundancies or business transfers (TUPE) and also pensions (see Chapter 12).

Government guidance expands considerably on what these three categories of information could mean.